The Akune brothers: Siblings on opposite sides of war - Wendell Oshiro

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2015
  • View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/the-akune-b...
    There are many stories that can be told about World War II, from the tragic to the inspiring. But perhaps one of the most heart-rending experiences was that of the Akune family, divided by the war against each other, and against their own identities. Wendell Oshiro tells the surprising story of this family split apart by war.
    Lesson by Wendell Oshiro, animation by Brandon Denmark.

ความคิดเห็น • 1.2K

  • @Onionbagel
    @Onionbagel 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2829

    Someone tell Hollywood to get on this shit!

    • @AMIR55312
      @AMIR55312 8 ปีที่แล้ว +261

      Zoink foo But sure they will change the story to show that the US side is better than the Japanese side.

    • @anikii5814
      @anikii5814 8 ปีที่แล้ว +173

      LeGunslinger That is the most accurate description of what Hollywood is gonna do.

    • @AMIR55312
      @AMIR55312 8 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Ezra Grant
      They tend to do that too, An alien director that what hollywood needs
      (ⵙ_*)

    • @wiseye61
      @wiseye61 8 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      LeGunslinger
      Japanese imperial forces were objectively worse.
      I'll refer you to the violent rape of nanking and the mass sex-enslavement of Korean women.

    • @dokabenmonth
      @dokabenmonth 8 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Azitock Ignoring all the war crimes of the USA to conclude that the Japanese forces were worse is not "objective" at all.

  • @TheGeekyAsianBoy
    @TheGeekyAsianBoy 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4639

    That flag transition at 3:00 gave me the chills.

    • @user-fv1nx9rb1z
      @user-fv1nx9rb1z 8 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      OKAY

    • @jendisini5104
      @jendisini5104 8 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      ditto

    • @MasterofPlay7
      @MasterofPlay7 8 ปีที่แล้ว +53

      lol yes the 50 stars is not 50 states, it's really 50 countries the US has conquered

    • @crimsonchance3302
      @crimsonchance3302 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Thalamus good eye

    • @juanmanuelpenaloza9264
      @juanmanuelpenaloza9264 7 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Literally Night and Day...but everyone agrees a sunset is beautiful.

  • @fizz113
    @fizz113 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4583

    When they saw each other, there must have been a lot of problems.
    You could say, Akune Matata.

  • @macncheesetv9816
    @macncheesetv9816 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5235

    I think this would be a good movie for some reson

    • @haloelite205
      @haloelite205 8 ปีที่แล้ว +102

      Yeah if they add some stuff in (like all historical movies do) then I think it could be a great film.

    • @5jerry1
      @5jerry1 8 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Mac'n CheeseTV I was thinking that too.

    • @tomatosteve3444
      @tomatosteve3444 8 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      There is a movie similar to this but it's about 2 brothers in the Korean war fighting against each other /: don't rememeber the name but it's sad

    • @grindstone4910
      @grindstone4910 8 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Mac'n CheeseTV There's a great movie from the 50's about a (mostly) Japanese US unit fighting in Europe and earning many honors. The name escapes me and I don't have the chance to google.

    • @LBCBassKings
      @LBCBassKings 8 ปีที่แล้ว +33

      There is a movie. It's called Tae Guk Gi The Brotherhood of War

  • @vioxynteris
    @vioxynteris 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1529

    "for harry, though, his greatest regret was not having the courage to thank his japanese grand uncle who had taught him so much."
    honestly i shed a couple tears at this part

  • @Amantducafe
    @Amantducafe 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1898

    That must have been father of the year.

    • @heyitsme3548
      @heyitsme3548 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      True that

    • @aldric2252
      @aldric2252 6 ปีที่แล้ว +37

      Speech 100

    • @waffles6280
      @waffles6280 6 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Charisma: 20

    • @vjm3
      @vjm3 6 ปีที่แล้ว +84

      He must had said something along the lines of "You both served for your respective countries like real men, and I couldn't be prouder. A war between two countries divided us, now that we're together let's not let it divide us any more."
      That, or he simply threw his shoe at them and it put them in line? I don't know.

    • @emilksf1725
      @emilksf1725 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Do japanese households do the shoe thing too? I thought it was just arabs

  • @raidkoast
    @raidkoast 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4176

    Wasn't too bad.. I feared it was gonna be something like one of the U.S sibling shooting a Japanese soldier and then identifying his brother or something..

  • @aweeeeh5255
    @aweeeeh5255 3 ปีที่แล้ว +243

    1:00 that day (Japan's sun) to night (US stars) transition is just perfect.

  • @Julia53808
    @Julia53808 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1497

    Inspiring story! I was expecting some tragic ending where the brothers had to kill each other in battle, but I'm not saying that's an ending I wanted.

    • @allanrichardson1468
      @allanrichardson1468 8 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      I was also happy to learn that the brothers all survived and were able to reconcile.

    • @IFacePalmParadoxI
      @IFacePalmParadoxI 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      +The stig's internety cousin He was probably too young, as the 4th brother was approximately 15.

    • @allanrichardson1468
      @allanrichardson1468 8 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      ***** The video stated that he was part of the "home guard," civilians too old, disabled or young to join the military who organized evacuations to bomb shelters, scanned the skies for enemy aircraft, and served as a last ditch defense force. All of the combatant nations in the war had such an organization. Germany, of course, as the most extreme, issued guns to members of the Hitler Youth; the United Kingdom organized volunteer squads of teenage and college age girls to maintain military motor vehicles so the men could go to the front to fight (all of the King's daughters who were old enough joined in to set an example; being a princess did not give you a moral excuse not to help out!). There were other volunteer jobs in the US, notably collecting recyclables for the war effort.
      This is an inspiring story, especially since it turned out that none of the five were lost in action, and they reconciled after the war.

    • @nickt012
      @nickt012 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      +The stig's internety cousin
      He served in the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion on the homefront.

    • @marrickdenille9327
      @marrickdenille9327 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +Nick T. how did you know?

  • @KydaIndie
    @KydaIndie 8 ปีที่แล้ว +562

    Someone needs to make a movie about this

    • @TheCaptainSplatter
      @TheCaptainSplatter 6 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      But please for once don't glorify the americans.

    • @aaronton2703
      @aaronton2703 6 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Sadly they will cast white actors not Asian-Americans

    • @Liuhuayue
      @Liuhuayue 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@aaronton2703 That would honestly be hilarious. It's one thing to cast Goku with a Caucasian since he's technically an alien, but it's another thing entirely to cast a Caucasian as an Asian, which is a real-world race.

    • @michirunagashigeh6476
      @michirunagashigeh6476 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I think they did for a Japanese channel.

  • @ERosa1991
    @ERosa1991 8 ปีที่แล้ว +369

    Japanese immigrants in Brazil also had tough lives during and after the war. Because they were living in a foreign country, enemy of Japan, when news spread that war was over and Japan had lost it, Japanese immigrants denied it believing it was false propaganda, and fellow immigrants who acknoledged Japan's surrender were tagged as traitors and murdered. This went on for at least two years, so in 1947 there were still Japanese Brazilians who believed the war was still going on, or that Japan had won. This episode in Brazilian History is called Soiled Hearts, as Japanese loyalists accused the "traitors", and there's a film about it (in Japanese with Japanese actors).

    • @Stoner075C
      @Stoner075C 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      +Eric William Rosa Gracias.

    • @destroyer_killerho8842
      @destroyer_killerho8842 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Eric William Rosa you know a lot about war

    • @greenwater8096
      @greenwater8096 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Eita.

    • @uncleruckus5121
      @uncleruckus5121 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      in brazil the government took radios from germans and italians
      not just transmitters but receivers too

    • @manager-nim2623
      @manager-nim2623 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      There's also the story of hiro onoda, he was sent with a couple of guys during ww2 to the Philippines and gather information, they hid in a jungle for years until each one died and hiro was the only one waiting for an order from Japan for 29 years until a Japanese hiker went to look for him and found him, and hiro was disappointed that they lost the war

  • @DeFaulty101
    @DeFaulty101 8 ปีที่แล้ว +462

    All people are relatives. The fact that people continue to fight wars instead of working out their differences beings me immense pain.

    • @morklee31
      @morklee31 8 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Why can't they see there are no need for countries and the need for power? All humans are creations of God. No one is any different because of skin colour, race or religion

    • @Vitaltrilogy
      @Vitaltrilogy 8 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      Vinneish Varmend I agree there shouldn't be judgement based solely upon race but without power the human race would not evolve. Bringing up religion, in my opinion, was not a necessary thing to do in your reply.

    • @mad_max21
      @mad_max21 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +Wolfgang Kenshin Acrimony between relatives can be far more intense than between combatants of opposing sides. With family, the hatred becomes very personal.

    • @morklee31
      @morklee31 8 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      +VitalTrilogy What's wrong with me including religion? But ok then, I'll change it here, make it more general. All humans are equal, regardless of race, religion and gender. Peace is what is needed to evolve, not power.

    • @DeFaulty101
      @DeFaulty101 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      I just noticed a typo. Brings, not beings...

  • @melissataguchi8979
    @melissataguchi8979 8 ปีที่แล้ว +658

    Proud to call these two men my great uncles. Great telling of their amazing journey.

    • @hinahinananoha7783
      @hinahinananoha7783 7 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      Melissa Taguchi Really??:) 😭😭😭what a story. Are they still alive?

    • @jennysilver8617
      @jennysilver8617 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Melissa Taguchi thats so cool tell the story

    • @anderslodin1541
      @anderslodin1541 7 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      Melissa Taguchi prove it

    • @nunya7055
      @nunya7055 6 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      You bring dishonor to the Air Force!!!

    • @iambright9252
      @iambright9252 6 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Anders Lodin lady's not replying probably it's a fake !

  • @superkh12
    @superkh12 8 ปีที่แล้ว +438

    Hell, this sounds like a movie! I can't believe this is true!

  • @SandrakEST
    @SandrakEST 8 ปีที่แล้ว +265

    Same thing happened here in Estonia, we called it Vennatappu Sõda, what means Borther killing War. Families divided by force between Russian and German troops. even tho people also fought for Estonians liberty

    • @GiggaGMikeE
      @GiggaGMikeE 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      +Disko H I'd pick Vennatappu Sõda over Mr. Pibb any day.

    • @OtterSam
      @OtterSam 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      +Sander Eerik Sandrak That's what happened to my family.

    • @TheSexy9347
      @TheSexy9347 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      This was the story of the Baltic states ;)

    • @emiliaholappa7864
      @emiliaholappa7864 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      +Jasmin Awany #karjalatakasin ;P

    • @Carsdf
      @Carsdf 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      We had something very similar here in Latvia.

  • @SteveScapesYT
    @SteveScapesYT 6 ปีที่แล้ว +50

    Thank you for this story. As a yonsei Japanese American grown up in peace-- married a Japanese girl and living in Tokyo, hard to imagine this tragedy. Our freedoms do not come for free.

  • @rashad123us
    @rashad123us 8 ปีที่แล้ว +622

    I see what you did there 3:00

    • @AMIR55312
      @AMIR55312 8 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Rashad lol, i was impressed too * __ *

    • @EInc1000
      @EInc1000 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yep

    • @JohanGSolaqa93
      @JohanGSolaqa93 8 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Rashad I knew it was gonna come :D

    • @RoyalDog214
      @RoyalDog214 8 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      Rashad Impressive artwork. Love the transition from US flag to Imperial Japanese.

    • @theoreticalphysics3644
      @theoreticalphysics3644 6 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      I see what you did there at 1:00

  • @voltarsystems
    @voltarsystems 6 ปีที่แล้ว +100

    They weren't the only ones. My grandmother's family went through the Same thing. Her two older brothers heard the call of the father land. Despite they were half apache and they're fathers explicit objections. They went to Germany to answer the call. The third bother joined the usa navy and became a medic. He survived pearl. Went on to join the first raids against the Japanese. He was awarded The medal of honor. His two older brothers did not survive The war. Later The third brother helped with writing the updated gi bill, helping ceaser Chavez and Hector Gonzales with The Hispanic rights movement. Also helping setting up a rights forum so medal of honor recipients of color have The option of being buried in arlington. The youngest was too young to join ww2. But he served in Korea.

  • @gamerguy4476
    @gamerguy4476 8 ปีที่แล้ว +238

    You want to know a sadder story?
    Enter the five Sullivan Brothers.
    Place: Ironbottom Sound, Off the coast of Guadalcanal.
    Ship: USS Juneau, as all brothers wanted to serve on the same ship.
    During the fight for the island of Guadalcanal, sea battles rated off the coast at night. In one such instance, the USS Juneau was in a full scale naval battle. The USS Juneau was a Light Cruiser, armed with only destroyer sized cannons. While under fire from the Japanese, a miscommunication issue happened and the Juneau was a victim of friendly fire. Soon after, the Juneau was sunk, along with ever single Sullivan brother. When the military came to the family's house to state their sorrows, the rather asked, "Which one?"
    The Officer replied, "I'm sorry, all five."

    • @ZhangK71
      @ZhangK71 8 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      +GamerGuy Oh lord... Even though I can have a sick sense of humor sometimes, even I won't/can't take away from how fucked up that is.

    • @papadops7233
      @papadops7233 8 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Just like saving private ryan but with a brother that survived.

    • @gamerguy4476
      @gamerguy4476 8 ปีที่แล้ว +55

      +Dopski Lorica Fun fact, the loss of the Sullivan Brothers was what compelled the military to instate the Sole Survivor policy, which is also shown in Saving Private Ryan.

    • @jacobornduff8609
      @jacobornduff8609 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      GamerGuy there is a movie about them. Think it's called the USS Sullivan...

    • @solarsceptile5908
      @solarsceptile5908 6 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      GamerGuy There’s actually a ship called the USS Sullivans in the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park. It’s a museum ship, and I’ve been on it multiple times

  • @7searchful
    @7searchful 8 ปีที่แล้ว +123

    Oh my goodness... I have no words 0.0

    • @impalabeeper
      @impalabeeper 8 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      7searchful Goes to show how much of a scourge war is.

  • @krumblemumble8628
    @krumblemumble8628 8 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    My japanese grandmother was held in a internment camp even though she was the second generation in her family to be American born. She wasn't very old when her family was taken to the camp. They had their house, money, and everything else that they couldn't carry taken away from them. Almost at the same time my French grandfather, who was also young at the time, was taken into a japanese internment camp in the Philippines. His family also had almost everything taken away. Both of them were in internment camps at opposite ends of the war at the same time. Crazy right? They would later meet in the military, he was in the coast guard and she was in the navy. But the horrible things that they had to go through in those camps just boggles my mind. I can't even imagine what it was like to get out of the camps and have nothing to start from. I am glad that more people are learning about the injustices against American citizens, both in America and in the Philippines.

  • @louisiananlord17
    @louisiananlord17 7 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Made me cry watching this. Just the compassion and merit that went into this family as they served both sides!

  • @lifelessperson1993
    @lifelessperson1993 7 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    "War will make corpses of us all" ~ Faramir LOTR TTO (M)

  • @RK-js9ui
    @RK-js9ui 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    悲しい話ですね。
    日本人としてこの話を知ることができて良かったです

  • @KrishSharma2112
    @KrishSharma2112 7 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    i could just watch ted all day and not get bored

  • @ribbongraph_old
    @ribbongraph_old 8 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Brilliant quality material from TEDed, as usual.
    Little thing that caught my attention: The transition at 2:58 from the US flag to the old Japanese flag was very artistic.

  • @janehughart9290
    @janehughart9290 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This is why I followed this channel. To find stories like this that I wasn’t previously aware of.

  • @willowwhisper6575
    @willowwhisper6575 5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    This one made me cry, can't imagine being in their place and feel torned like that

  • @hanaenaomi
    @hanaenaomi 8 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    One of few JPN-America stories with a positive ending. I'm crying tears of joy too!!! X...(

  • @Jgaldragon
    @Jgaldragon 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The whole family survived the war. I would find that as a miracle.

  • @aljosaandrejevic
    @aljosaandrejevic 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    the man speaking in this video and many others,most of them are my favourite,has for some reason a great voice for this work

  • @creedthoughts8054
    @creedthoughts8054 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The level of detail put into this video truly makes the story that much better. The M1 Garand and M1936 webbing at 2:44 adds so much historical accuracy.

  • @gavib4246
    @gavib4246 7 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    Talk about sibling rivalry!

  • @Rav3r916
    @Rav3r916 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Amazing video! I didn't know about the Akune brothers until now. Definitely awe inspiring. Thank you, TED-ED!

  • @anxiouslimabean
    @anxiouslimabean 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Dude this would make such a good movie I think

  • @RobertMichael
    @RobertMichael 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What an incredible story… thank you for sharing

  • @fletcherricafrente3206
    @fletcherricafrente3206 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    1:00 3:00 The transition is amazing af

  • @rngesus7783
    @rngesus7783 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    takes sibling rivalry to a new level

  • @Art1611
    @Art1611 8 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    This has to be one of the best stories I've ever heard. What a wonderful piece of American history. It's as captivating as an account that the ancient historians would have recorded.
    I have many Japanese acquaintances, and, through them, I've learned more and more about Japanese culture. It's a land that I would love to experience, body and soul.

  • @jakeonthebeat
    @jakeonthebeat 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I can only imagine how many stories are similar to this one, not just in WW2 but more so during the American civil war.

  • @mikasa8292
    @mikasa8292 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Beautiful story it made me shed a couple tears 😢

  • @ShadyAnchovy
    @ShadyAnchovy 7 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    why no one make movie from this story yet? I thought it will be really interesting

  • @syedali-ov9cl
    @syedali-ov9cl 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Very sad but inspirational....!! Wars really devide eachother from their love once...

  • @alessandromorelli5866
    @alessandromorelli5866 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You got so many things about this story except the one thing to get from it that i think truly matters: a story about the story of human conflict, viewed through the eyes of literal brothers.

  • @elijahresuello6478
    @elijahresuello6478 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    fun fact: saburo and shiro was the third and fourth son respectively.
    saburo in japanese is 三郎 which literally translates to "third son"
    shiro in japanese is 四郎 which literally translates to "fourth son"

  • @SeanKula
    @SeanKula 8 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    This story is so sad. It harbors interesting curcumstances, however. I always thought of European wars with a brother on either side. It is interesting to see it from this point of view.

  • @katherineknapp4370
    @katherineknapp4370 ปีที่แล้ว

    And shout out to Ted-Ed for reminding me of my many backgrounds and to proud of where my family came from.

  • @chefkochjay
    @chefkochjay 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    Beautifuly narrated and researched, as always

  • @olbradley
    @olbradley 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    "United by blood, divided by war."
    *Feudal Japan 2 Electric Boogaloo*

  • @BritskNguyen
    @BritskNguyen 8 ปีที่แล้ว +68

    The same in Vietnam War.

    • @nakada1996
      @nakada1996 8 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      True dat

    • @nealsmith4049
      @nealsmith4049 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      A lot of wars, the American Civil War had a lot of split families that's how you got the I famous Hatfield & Mccoy feud.

    • @kimkim-mh7bv
      @kimkim-mh7bv 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Not the same. Vietnam war is not actual vietnam war. It about cambodian native war against vietnam and mislead by usa. And the local government in cambodia declare non party but in the secret support vietnam and kept supply to them to kill their own cambodian people who live in vietnam for decade. As result cambodia lose the war and lose the people. Vietnam regain power and land who borrow the land from cambodia a century agos withing cambodia native almost large population than vietnam live in that area. So as we see cambodia sign a secret deal for victory for vietnam in exchange for borrow land. That why tragedy mr leader in vietnam can't give that to cambodia but instead kill himself to delete all secret his sign.

    • @jeffo9401
      @jeffo9401 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@kimkim-mh7bv - Not true. It was the Khmer Rouge, a communist group that held Phnom Penn at the time. They were not a fully-fledged government and only supported North Vietnam for mainly goods and military support to assist in their own efforts.

    • @kimkim-mh7bv
      @kimkim-mh7bv 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@jeffo9401 noop where khmer Rouge came from before sihanouk out of his office? Khmer Rouge was create by mr king khmer and got support by his fellow pol pot. In vietname war there is no khmer Rouge.

  • @Electro-cs6ju
    @Electro-cs6ju 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    Has anyone else been watching these videos because this mans voice is just soothing??

  • @justinwolfenden5897
    @justinwolfenden5897 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    who got chills a bunch of times while watching this

  • @niltherunaway4645
    @niltherunaway4645 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Hey, at least they all survived and they managed to meet together as family after the war. That's a win XD

  • @worldshaper1723
    @worldshaper1723 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Amazing story!

  • @theoreticalphysics3644
    @theoreticalphysics3644 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    1:00 that sunset animation is genius

  • @adude3812
    @adude3812 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    excellent video. wow, i really like that summary at the end. really tied everything together and makes you understand. Thank you Ted-Ed! :D

  • @catherinekong2918
    @catherinekong2918 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    this should be a movie

  • @Jack-yu8dc
    @Jack-yu8dc 6 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    that's a great american to japanese flag transition!

  • @DioJeanBaptiste
    @DioJeanBaptiste 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow such a great piece of history.

  • @TobiCollab
    @TobiCollab 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    this would be a beautiful movie

  • @videogyar2
    @videogyar2 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Interesting story.

  • @dasdasdus
    @dasdasdus 8 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    There were similar stories in Europe too.

    • @enhander24
      @enhander24 8 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      dasdasdus And yet no one brings up German or Italian Internment.

    • @aaroo9554
      @aaroo9554 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      Presidente What internment?

    • @dasdasdus
      @dasdasdus 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      bob potato Well as far I know Volga germans were sent into the siberian mainland, since they were a risk factor.

    • @enhander24
      @enhander24 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      bob potato Well I was thinking about American interment. +dasdasdus But that also was an injustice doe to innocent people.

    • @davecallanan6004
      @davecallanan6004 8 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Presidente In the US people from or descendants of Germany or Italy weren't interned.The Japanese were the exception, because racism, not the rule.

  • @susheemayo9348
    @susheemayo9348 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wow . This episode is awesome .

  • @RickrollFoot
    @RickrollFoot 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    this brings sibling rivalry to a new level

  • @DavidRobertfr
    @DavidRobertfr 8 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Reminds me of Kenji by Fort Minor ..

  • @therudestofclouds2007
    @therudestofclouds2007 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    why isn't this a movie?!?!?!?!?!

  • @julesoxana3630
    @julesoxana3630 ปีที่แล้ว

    Such an insoiring story!! Loved this video

  • @lth9282
    @lth9282 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    This feels like a documentary but over 9000 times better.

  • @natlus6805
    @natlus6805 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    0:53 Japanese people live so long they have "Great Uncle"

  • @freakyDJ901
    @freakyDJ901 8 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Same thing happened at Estonia aswell. Brothers and relatives had to kill each other because both Soviet and german occupation controlled the country at one point and recruited people here.

    • @TheCaptainSplatter
      @TheCaptainSplatter 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That can be the European story. While this video can be the Pacific story.

  • @avrilynravenee5143
    @avrilynravenee5143 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    amazing story and amazing illustrations!

  • @darlenelaski9716
    @darlenelaski9716 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    wow what a great fascinating story and wonderful lesson

  • @richardlew3667
    @richardlew3667 8 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    I wonder why the U.S. didn't also intern German and Italian citizens?

    • @Stoner075C
      @Stoner075C 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      +Richard Lew Because someone had to go and fight, and WASPs only wasn't gonna be enough, ha ha ha... Also, a racist element is to be expected...

    • @Lightscribe225
      @Lightscribe225 8 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      +Richard Lew Because the Japanese were a special case. After Pearl Harbor, one of the Japanese pilots crash landed on another Hawaiian island. A Japanese American family took him in, unaware that an attack even happened. Then a bunch of crap happened where the pilot was arrested after trying to steal an American plane to get back to Japan, and the family was arrested for helping him. Americans, who are still frothing over the attack on Pearl Harbor, jumped to the conclusion that no Japanese can be trusted and had Japanese-Americans moved to prison camps.

    • @kyeoptawerk93ah
      @kyeoptawerk93ah 8 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      +Richard Lew i'm currently taking an east asian american experience class and we just talked about the camps. some italians and germans were interned but not as many as the japanese americans as they were harder to tell who was italian and german (names and clear ethnic physical appearances)

    • @tyrantking92
      @tyrantking92 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      +Lightscribe225 maybe but its also the intense loyalty to Japan and the emperor. Its just a cultural thing, many Japanese Americans didn't feel this way, but some did.

    • @annikaaslanbekov6984
      @annikaaslanbekov6984 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      They weren't as big of a threat to America as the Japanese were and weren't treated as such, plus there were literally tens of millions of people with ancestry going back to Germany or Italy.

  • @doumahamigahila8133
    @doumahamigahila8133 7 ปีที่แล้ว +680

    great story but another sad example of americas mistreatment of minority groups

    • @Garnetthekelpiehorse
      @Garnetthekelpiehorse 7 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      Being a Japanese I'll say on my behalf that I have not done such terrible deed. and as Meme Mabon says, not all of us are bad, but I understand that you are upset and you have every right to be and I will not try to diminish the fact that what has happened was very terrible. But please do not be upset at all Japanese people.

    • @garbanzobeans6228
      @garbanzobeans6228 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Jonathan D all of the Japanese? Even the ones horned today

    • @EmotionalSupportCapybara
      @EmotionalSupportCapybara 7 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      You do realise they were treated badly due to war right? It's different from racism towards minorities while being in peace!

    • @puchy110
      @puchy110 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +Jonathan D oh you ignorant fool, the Japanese that fought in the American army aided in the fight against the Nazis in Italy. The 442nd regiment was the most decorated in the entire war. What did your family contribute? Oh that's right, nothing.

    • @puchy110
      @puchy110 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      +Garnetthekelpiehorse you and the other great people of Japan don't need to apologize. These are just ignorant fools that seriously need to get over shit that happened 70 years ago.

  • @bijeY2K
    @bijeY2K 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Goodness... this really made me cry

    • @5C2WMedia
      @5C2WMedia 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Slender Man Sr. if that made you cry, then you're sheltered. much more horrible things happen in real life.

    • @bijeY2K
      @bijeY2K 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      The Legend 566 I know some horrible events do anger/saddened me, but so far this story is by far on of the stories that is an inspiration and one of the emotional ones...

  • @sophieaugustine3884
    @sophieaugustine3884 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    animation is fantastic as well as the phrasing of the story :D but as a white american, this makes my soul ache. pretty hard to be proud of being an american with messed up bs like this in our history

  • @codyshi4743
    @codyshi4743 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I feel the Akuna brother. It must’ve been very hard to live as a citizen of the United State who’s background were the native country that’s at war with the US.

  • @hitch9930
    @hitch9930 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love your videos! I think they are all very educational and the animations are amazing! Love your work!! 😁😀😁🎥

  • @ascenderrecut8241
    @ascenderrecut8241 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    And now I'm crying.

  • @snfang56
    @snfang56 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    2:46 Maybe his fellow soldiers attempt to discriminate him by hiding his combat gear anywhere

  • @FungusApe
    @FungusApe 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Check out the Korean film by the name of Taegukgi if anyone is interested. It's similar in the sense that two brothers were on opposing sides during the Korean War

    • @jairoherrera4040
      @jairoherrera4040 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I seen that one. Its sad that his brother ended up dying and realizing his mistake. For what? Just for the kim family to stay in power.

  • @wellfudgethis
    @wellfudgethis 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very touching

  • @deuteriuscawl
    @deuteriuscawl 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    oh my goodness!
    truly inspiring!!

  • @PaperThePenguin
    @PaperThePenguin 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    "Two younger brothers, the third and fourth Akune brothers..."
    So, what happened to the 5th?

    • @silentsmurf
      @silentsmurf 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Nason Li the fourth one was only 15.

  • @sacrom5398
    @sacrom5398 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    It's sad to see even a soldier could be discriminated in the US only 70 so years ago.

  • @mrunseen3797
    @mrunseen3797 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    That transition at 3:09, was like really great!

  • @malvoliomaximillian2001
    @malvoliomaximillian2001 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    These people took sibling rivalry to a whole new level

  • @pascalsmit8739
    @pascalsmit8739 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    We're all siblings on opposite sides of war -- religion, nationalism, and patriotism - those diseases of mankind - make us forget this.

    • @obligatoryusername7239
      @obligatoryusername7239 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Pascal Smit, you seriously think religion is a disease of mankind? Really? After the Renaissance, the theistic Greek philosophers, the incalculable contribution of both pagan and Christian religion to European culture, the influence of religions like Hinduism on India, the fact that two atheist regimes, the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China, were at times just as bad as a medieval kingdom, and the fact that even in a world without religion EVERYONE will still be divided, you seriously think religion is mankind's cancer? Wow.

  • @doge4157
    @doge4157 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    In greek language akune means listen

  • @thedrivereraworld6033
    @thedrivereraworld6033 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The Akune brothers: Siblings on opposite sides of war (Transcrição)
    There are many stories that can be told about World War II, from the tragic to the inspiring. But perhaps one of the most heartrending experiences was that of the Akune family, divided by the war against each other and against their own identities.
    Ichiro Akune and his wife Yukiye immigrated to America from Japan in 1918 in search of opportunity, opening a small grocery store in central California and raising nine children. But when Mrs. Akune died in 1933, the children were sent to live with relatives in Japan, their father following soon after.
    Though the move was a difficult adjustment after having been born and raised in America, the oldest son, Harry, formed a close bond with his grand uncle, who taught him the Japanese language, culture and values. Nevertheless, as soon as Harry and his brother Ken were old enough to work, they returned to the country they considered home, settling near Los Angeles.
    But then, December 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor. Now at war with Japan, the United States government did not trust the loyalty of those citizens who had family or ancestral ties to the enemy country.
    In 1942, about 120,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast were stripped of their civil rights and forcibly relocated to internment camps, even though most of them, like Harry and Ken, were Nisei, American or dual citizens who had been born in the US to Japanese immigrant parents.
    The brothers not only had very limited contact with their family in Japan, but found themselves confined to a camp in a remote part of Colorado. But their story took another twist when recruiters from the US Army’s military intelligence service arrived at the camp looking for Japanese-speaking volunteers.
    Despite their treatment by the government, Harry and Ken jumped at the chance to leave the camp and prove their loyalty as American citizens. Having been schooled in Japan, they soon began their service, translating captured documents, interrogating Japanese soldiers, and producing Japanese language propaganda aimed at persuading enemy forces to surrender.
    The brothers’ work was invaluable to the war effort, providing vital strategic information about the size and location of Japanese forces. But they still faced discrimination and mistrust from their fellow soldiers.
    Harry recalled an instance where his combat gear was mysteriously misplaced just prior to parachuting into enemy territory, with the white officer reluctant to give him a weapon. Nevertheless, both brothers continued to serve loyally through the end of the war.
    But Harry and Ken were not the only Akune brothers fighting in the Pacific. Unbeknownst to them, two younger brothers, the third and fourth of the five Akune boys, were serving dutifully in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Saburo in the Naval Airforce, and 15-year-old Shiro as an orientation trainer for new recruits.
    When the war ended, Harry and Ken served in the allied occupational forces and were seen as traitors by the locals. When all the Akune brothers gathered at a family reunion in Kagoshima for the first time in a decade, it was revealed that the two pairs had fought on opposing sides.
    Tempers flared and a fight almost broke out until their father stepped in. The brothers managed to make peace and Saburo and Shiro joined Harry and Ken in California, and later fought for the US Army in Korea.
    It took until 1988 for the US government to acknowledge the injustice of its internment camps and approve reparations payments to survivors. For Harry, though, his greatest regret was not having the courage to thank his Japanese grand uncle who had taught him so much.
    The story of the Akune brothers is many things: a family divided by circumstance, the unjust treatment of Japanese Americans, and the personal struggle of reconciling two national identities. But it also reveals a larger story about American history: the oppression faced by immigrant groups and their perseverance in overcoming it.

  • @yolakin8210
    @yolakin8210 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks to TED Ed for making this video.

  • @spacedoubt15
    @spacedoubt15 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    If these TED talks could be less US centric that'd be great.

    • @GamersTrue
      @GamersTrue 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Stop coming to US based channels, maybe? Or find TH-cam channels that are in your own country.

    • @spacedoubt15
      @spacedoubt15 8 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I only made that comment because many of these videos seem to assume an American audience. I checked the TED-Ed website and found this on their about page: "TED believes passionately that ideas have the power to change attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world. This underlying philosophy is the driving force behind all of TED’s endeavors, including the TED Conferences, TEDx, TED Books, the TED Fellows Program, and the TED Open Translation Project. With this philosophy in mind, and with the intention of supporting teachers and sparking the curiosity of learners around the world, TED-Ed is the newest of TED’s initiatives." It may be a US based channel, but I think it's within my purview to criticise them on a bias which plays against their own stated aim. Also, why should I stick to videos from my own country, that pretty much defeats half the point of having internet.

    • @lucasmartin6465
      @lucasmartin6465 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      spacedoubt15 I'm not American either, but I think they've told this story quite objectively.

  • @PaceyPimp
    @PaceyPimp 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Atleast there got something for there injustice. Not like Guatemalan's how the US government gave syphilis to and al they got was a sorry yrs later.

  • @grindstone4910
    @grindstone4910 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    2:24 the helmet is backwards. The chin strap goes over the front visor.
    Nit-picking aside, excellent story and production, thank you for sharing! Very awe-inspiring story.

  • @necropolis1303
    @necropolis1303 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This would make an oscar winning movie

  • @stevenreyna3437
    @stevenreyna3437 7 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    Of course, all the America hating people in the comments immediately focus on the 48 seconds of the video about the internment camps instead of discussing the story...

    • @nathanspencer1238
      @nathanspencer1238 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Ima Gunna Di So just because someone identifies the bad things America does, that makes the person America hating? I haven't read all the comments, but from those I did read I see people saying "hey we did a lot of terrible things, but we can move forward".
      I believe in America, it's because I believe in America that I'm not afraid to admit we have, we do and we will mess things up horribly.

    • @harrisonadams4886
      @harrisonadams4886 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ikr they don't even mention the prisoner of war camps of Japan
      Which are far worse.

  • @h3ct0rgr
    @h3ct0rgr 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    less than 200 viewers club

  • @RaggaBaby
    @RaggaBaby 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    beautiful story

  • @kristihaugrud1066
    @kristihaugrud1066 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This needs to have more views

  • @MWebb-zm3cr
    @MWebb-zm3cr 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    1:34 "Internment camps". Nice choice of words. Haha